The invention generally relates to power conversion systems and, more particularly, to power conversion systems being able to withstand certain switch failures.
With the rising cost and scarcity of conventional energy sources and concerns about the environment, there is a significant interest in alternative energy sources such as solar power and wind power. The alternative energy sources are used to generate power by employing different power conversion systems for different alternative sources of energy. A power conversion system generally includes at least one power converter for converting generated power from at least one power source to usable power for transmission to a power grid.
The power conversion system includes one or more stages of power conversion to provide the usable power. Each stage includes a plurality of switches that convert the input power from the power source. The switches are susceptible to damage due to various conditions such as current overloading. The failure of any one of the switches in a conventional power converter leads to temporary suspension of the operation of the whole power converter until the failed switch is replaced. The temporary suspension of the power converter results in power production losses and reduced operational time. Furthermore, the failure also negatively impacts the power converter's availability rating when it is still largely functional although not able to operate due to the failure of a single component.
The failure of a switch may also result in an explosion that creates undesired projectiles of debris from the exploded switch. The undesired projectiles may damage the adjacent switches.
Hence, there is a need for an improved system to address the aforementioned issues.